Friday, February 14, 2014

One for V Day

I recently was spending time with some teenage girls.
I glanced over to see one of them gently turning the pages in her magazine. I
laughed a bit as I asked “Is there anything you aren’t telling me?” The
magazine was a bridal catalog, filled with fancy gowns and ideal poses. She
answered, “No, I just love to look at these, they are my favorite”. Dreams were
being formed, shaped, trimmed, tucked with each turn of the page. She hadn’t
ever even had a boyfriend, but the hope continued to grow for the fulfillment
of plans for that special white-satin draped moment. Hours and days
cumulatively spent pondering the specifics of some far off occasion. The
delight in the thrill of love and excitement of marriage were captivating. “The
one” as yet unknown, but known somehow to be completing and satisfying in the
walk through life. She naively dreams of perfect beauty and love, a perfect
life, a perfect day. How much she wants to give her life away. Can’t wait for
it. Longs to say “yes”.

And yet there is a divide when God asks for a life. We
shy away, a bit put off that He would think this a valid option. I mean, maybe
its okay to ask if You can stop in from time to time for a visit, but all of
it? The audacity and impudence of God for asking for our everything. Often He
is greeted in an unwelcome manner, as if through the locked screen door.
Suspiciously we may ask what He wants, but we are taken aback when He wants too
much. Funny how we would question His motives, wonder if He’s worth it. But
when some half-way handsome fellow with a smile walks in and sweeps our feet
out from under us, we would gladly promise everything. On the one hand
completely trustworthy, patient, loving, all knowing, all powerful – we find
Him too scary. But on the other hand, the one marred by frequent failures,
irrationality, fickleness, along with a few decent attributes hidden amongst
all the defects – we find him delightful. Why can’t we see that God’s love
infinitely greater, more secure, more sheltering?

I think of the young girl who sits
dreaming, the future full of wishes. Somewhat worthy dreams, somewhat false
reality. And I wonder, is what you dream of worth giving a life away for? Is it
going to satisfy? Or will imaginations hit the rock hard ground of the earth we
trod and the fleshly-ness of it disappoint? Maybe someone tall, dark, and
handsome is coming. I do hope that sweet girl finds great love that makes her days
brighter, her smile bigger. But I know for sure, Someone is going to ask for
her life, all of it. But He is better than the perfect man she day-dreams about
as she flips the pages of the magazine. And if she dares to say “yes”, He is
going to be infinitely more amazing than what she has dreamt. He can take a
woman and breathe life into her. She will only have thought that she lived,
dreamed, was, before He came.

May she, and many others, boldly
welcome the One who does complete. May each find dreams bigger and fuller than
imagination ever lent before. When He asks, let us not draw back and shy away,
but instead respond with “Here’s all I’ve got, all that I am”.